Crowns and Cradles

Four Months in

Sundrop sat at her desk tiresomely signing paper after paper that was handed to her by Comet, she felt her head throbbing and her nerves fry as she went on and on. "I don't know how much of this I can take." Sundrop mumbled sitting back in her chair, Comet nodded as he organized papers. Sundrop turned around and looked out of the window below, it was a cloudy cold December day. Sundrop sighed as she watched people go on with their day below her, she wanted a break but she was working for them, it's her job.

"Is it going to snow?" Comet Asked walking up next to her, Sundrop stretched out a wing and when it trembled slightly she pulled it back in. "Yes, later in the day." Sundrop stretched, she stared out of the window aimlessly. "Does it hurt?" Comet Asked stepping away from Sundrop over towards the papers, Sundrop turned around to face him. "Does what hurt?" Sundrop asked, perplexed, she was caught off guard by his question and he only gestured towards her. "You're rubbing your belly, just thought it was hurting." Comet explained pushing more papers towards Sundrop, She realized she was rubbing her belly without realizing it. "Oh no, I just uh, I'm just starting to gain the weight you know? I did that unconsciously, not on purpose." Sundrop mumbled going back to her signing, Comet hummed and nodded his head.

Sundrop tried to get lost in her thoughts but she was always led back to her impending motherhood, she still harbored negative emotions about the whole thing but she always played pretend to other people. Luckily her condition hasn't been revealed to her subjects, but they were speculating and as Sundrop goes on she can't keep it a secret, glancing over to her calendar she found out it was the first of the month. "You know...can you get me Ink Press and Silver Watch?" Sundrop asked barely looking up from her work, Comet nodded and got on the phone and called down to the two. Sundrop shifted in her seat as Comet came back over and handed her more paper, then with a sigh she grabbed her phone and pushed a button.

She held the receiver up to her ear and in less than two rings the other side picked up, "King Flames office Saffron speaking." Saffron cheerfully responded, Sundrop covered the phone and groaned then held it back up to her face. "Put Flame on the phone." Sundrop growled, flipping through some papers and then placing a red stamp on the paper. "And who is this?" Saffron sassed, Sundrop sighed and tapped the end of the stamp on her desk. "Put him on." Sundrop requested, then after a pause and some whispering Flame was put on the phone.

"Flame darling, I need you to come down to my office." Sundrop smiled, setting the stamp back into its holder on her desk. "Oh Sundrop! Yes yes I'll be down there in 15 minutes." Flame responded on the other line, Sundrop sucked her teeth and played with the cord. "Can you come down here now? It's about the baby." Sundrop asked, she looked down at her wedding picture with a smile. "On my way." Flame quickly said with a click, Sundrop snorted and hung the phone up.

She was about to continue her work when there was a knock at the door, Comet ran over and opened it and in walked Ink Press. "Ah come sit, were still waiting for two more people." Sundrop smiled at her, going back to signing her papers. Ink grumbled and sat down in the chair in front of her desk, then soon after there was another knock. Once again Comet rushed over and opened the door for the guest, and in walked Silver Watch. She bowed and Sundrop gave her a nod and gestured for the seat, she wasn't meant to bow but she was new so Sundrop let it slip.

"One more person and we can start." Sundrop smiled at the two of them, she tapped her papers against her desk and slipped them into a bin labeled 'Done'. She stretched her wings and then the door opened, the two guests stood up and bowed and acknowledged the King as he strode in. "We're doing this? Now?" Flame questioned as he walked over and gave Sundrop a kiss on the cheek, she smiled at him and then faced the guests. She felt Flame place a hand on her side, she could see the confusion on the two ladies in front of her. "We have an announcement to make." Sundrop informed, she kept her face still as the two quietly looked at one another and then back at Sundrop and Flame. "We're going to have a baby." Flame smiled, wrapping a loving wing around Sundrop.

Ink looked shocked, almost disgusted but Silver just smiled and clapped her hooves together. "Oh that's so wonderful! When are we telling everyone?" Silver squealed with a grin, Sundrop looked up at Flame then back at the girls. "Today. I'll write a draft and during the afternoon rush put it out." Sundrop explained as she pulled out a paper and pen from her desk, she began to write down an official statement. "Write that we're excited." Flame chimed in pointing at a sentence in the beginning of the statement, Sundrop wrote in Flame's request and then handed it to the girls. "We'll be at lunch so just come and get us to sign it." Flame smiled at them as he reached down and pulled Sundrop to her feet.

Sundrop squeaked in surprise as she was led from her chair towards the door. "Yes your highness, right away!" Silver watch stood up and Ink stood up with less enthusiasm, Comet smiled at Sundrop as she was led out of the office. "Flame I can't take lunch yet, I'm behind on my work!" Sundrop hissed hesitantly walking along with Flame, he rubbed her side with a grin. "You heard what the doctor said, you can't skip any meals. I know you, you want to work straight through lunch!" Flame retorted as they walked down the stairs, Sundrop groaned as she trotted down the stairs and down towards the dining room.

"I was thinking, the greenhouse." Flame offered pointing in the opposite direction, Sundrop sighed and nodded her head. He gave her a grin as he led her down the stairs and out towards the attached greenhouse, and upon opening the doors there was already a table waiting for the two of them. "Flame you planned this!" Sundrop grinned giving him a gentle shove, he laughed as he walked over and pulled out a chair. Sundrop sat down and Flame sat on the other side of the table facing her, from the green house you could see out into the large park spanning out from the castle.

People were jogging and walking down the sidewalk all bundled up from the cold, but in the green house it was warm and cozy. "I'm so happy for us Sundrop, isn't it exciting?" Flame grinned, holding Sundrop's hoof in his hand, Sundrop just smiled and nodded as she watched someone bring out some food. They placed a sandwich with hay fries down for Sundrop and for Flame a BLT with chips, Flame started to eat but Sundrop looked down at her sandwich with disdain. "Something wrong?" Flame asked, swallowing a large gulp of his sandwich. "I kinda want a BLT to." Sundrop muttered, taking her sandwich and taking a bite into it.

Flame wiped his mouth and sat back in his chair. "Craving a BLT?" Flame questioned with a smile, Sundrop gave him a bland look as she set her sandwich down. "You know I eat meat normally." Sundrop complained looking out towards the garden, Flame hummed. "You haven't eaten meat in 6 months." Flame retorted waving his sandwich in front of Sundrops face, she snatched a piece of bacon from the bread and popped it into her mouth. "Oh boo." Flame muttered waving over the footmen, he whispered to him and immediately he turned and left. "You'll get your bacon, and eat it too!" Flame mocked finishing his sandwich with a gulp, Sundrop snorted and ate her hay fries happily.